Title: Charge
Author: scy
Feedback : scynnne@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not mine
Fandom: Heroes
Pairing: Adam/Elle
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up through 2x09 'Cautionary Tales'
Summary: Growing up in the Company.
Author's Notes: Written in the wake of learning more about Elle's upbringing.
November 2007

I'll take you under my wing
Somebody should

A Question of Time, Depeche Mode

It was a testing day; Elle had been hooked up to the machines since they woke her up early that morning and she was stiff from lying on a stretcher for hours.

Bob assured her it was necessary. "Part of your agreement with the Company is to stay in command of your abilities, and we need to establish a baseline for them."

Elle raked her fingers through her hair and grimaced. She'd taken a shower to get the paste from the electrodes out, but it wasn't all gone. The guards weren't looking at her, they knew better, but if they had, Elle knew they would want to laugh. They wouldn't dare, but she knew they were thinking about it, and so she purposefully stomped past them to the doorway.

"I want to see him," she demanded, and waited impatiently while the door was unlocked.

Adam was on his bunk, lying on his back, a book held in one hand, head resting on his other arm. He looked really comfortable for a guy who was supposedly being held prisoner and it made Elle even angrier.

"Why don't they put you through any of the tests?" She didn't ask to come in or whether she could sit down; manners were to impress and she didn't care if he was charmed right now.

Adam set his book down and turned his head to look at her where she had slumped in the room's only chair.

"Was it the EEG again?" he asked.

"And X-ray, and whatever else they've pulled out of storage to use on me."

"They have some fairly advanced equipment available," Adam said.

"That's great, why can't they use the stuff that doesn't stay in my hair?" Elle asked, tugging unhappily at a strand that was sticky in her fingers.

"At least they've moved past needles," Adam said. "You may take that as a small comfort."

"It's not enough to make me forget that I've got to take three showers to get all of it out," Elle said and stared at Adam. "Needles?"

"I've been here for years, Elle. Before science made such great strides as to look for more humane ways to find answers for what we can do."

Elle let out a frustrated noise. "But do they have to get my hair dirty?"

Adam let an amused sound escape him, sat up, and crooked a finger at Elle. "Come here, you're making it worse."

Elle walked over and flopped down next to him sulkily. "Do you have a hair brush?"

"Do I look as if I need one?" Adam smiled and ran a hand over his cropped hair. "I have a different perspective, one that you should heed, and also-" he paused and dumped something on Elle's head. "A cup of water."

Elle spluttered, and would have jolted Adam, but he pulled his hands away. "Now, none of that, lean forward and I'll get the snarls out, you simply can't reach them all."

As she held herself still, Elle felt Adam's fingers move carefully through her hair, tugging, separating strands, never pulling too hard, until he wiped his hands on the blanket and sat back. "I got the worst of it out."

"Does it look okay?" Elle asked.

"You're a bit damper than you were when you entered this room, but your hair is cleaner," Adam said.

"Did they really use needles on you?" Elle asked.

"Yes, many times."

Elle glanced at his arms where the skin was smooth and unscarred. "Where?"

Adam held up one hand. "For starters, along the knuckles, at the wrist, and on one occasion or another, any place they could stick a needle in to get a reaction."

"And you healed every single time," Elle said.

"Yes."

"Does it happen right away, or can you hold off on fixing what they've done until they've finished their tests?" Elle asked.

"Healing is part of who I am, Elle."

"That wasn't an answer."

"Yes it was, just not one that gives you specifics," Adam said.

"How is that fair?"

"It isn't, but I'm not going to tell you everything, you need to learn some of it for yourself."

"Like how fast you can heal?" Elle asked.

"If you like." Adam sprawled back, leaning on his elbows and gave Elle an expectant look.

"You're kidding," Elle said. Nobody invited her to spark at them, not unless she was doing it behind glass or they were measuring voltage and could order her to crank it back down when they were through with her.

"Very rarely," Adam said.

Elle flexed her fingers and ran her hand down her leg, building up enough of a buzz to have it curl over her palm.

"Where?" Elle asked.

"You choose," Adam said. "Where would you like to leave a mark?"

"It won't stay," Elle said, her hand inches from Adam's wrist, where the needles had gone in.

"Then you can try again," Adam said.

-end